July 8, 2007 | Mama Smith

zoo and free wings

Brighton stomping through the fountain and enjoying the use of our yearly zoo pass that will have only received 6 months usage by the time we leave. If only these things transferred from city zoo to city zoo. He’ll sure miss his favorite – that crusty, decrepit elephant.

We frequented the petting zoo section for the first time…now I know why. I think they smear animal waste everywhere to give it that “fresh farm aroma”. I grew up playing in cow pastures, so I’m not usually phased. Maybe it was the upper 90 degree heat that was only making matters worth. Brighton loved climbing on the tractor, chasing the chickens, and brushing the cud-chewing goats.

Matthew and I had our own fun Friday night, sitting outside at North Third, one of our favorite city spots for probably one of the last times. As we’re trying to hit each of our favorite Philly eateries in the 6 weekends we have left. We shared our sob story of forever bidding farewell to the North Third wings to our waitress, who later proceeded to tell us the tab was on them that night. After two drinks a piece and 2 pounds of wings! Don’t be jealous, Coury and Anne :)

We drove around the city sharing memories of when we first met there, places we’d wished we taken time to enjoy, and taking pictures, trying to soak up these last moments and memories we make over the next month.

Tonight I’m feeling the weariness of a long road ahead of saying goodbye. I know everyone does it this way, but I’m the type of person who’d rather elope. Just pack up and mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night. Avoiding the inevitable tearing and pain of closing one chapter and starting another.

I don’t like to need Jesus in these places. I’d rather self-medicate by obsessively planning our new home, puruse my favorite design feeds, and pretend like it’s not going to hurt so badly to leave.

Then I find myself walking home from the co-op on a cool summer evening, running into a friend from the Maternal Wellness Center who “yoga-ed” me through my pregnancy with Levi, and I fall apart. I love this little community. I love being known here. I have to run to Christ as we move to a place where we’re very unknown for a time. A church where we don’t mean much to anyone yet. That’s where we started three years ago, and now we’re here. We have to have faith He’ll do the same for us in S.C.

I promise I won’t fill the next few weeks of posts bemoaning this change, but for now, this is a little glimpse into the transition-a-phobe that I am.

A yard sale with our friends is in the works for next weekend. All the baby stuff is leaving. That’s a strange feeling in itself. We may not be done, but for now, we are. If that makes any sense.

The boxes have begun to collect themselves in our house and the first two were packed this evening. This required a dose of our favorite summer beverage…the 4-part margarita. Looks like we’ve become moonshiners.